SEPTEMBER 30, 2006

AMD looking for partners for F1 survey

AMD is looking to expand its annual Formula 1 survey to help the fans get what they want from the sport. The computer chip company has been involved in two surveys to date but wants to widen the research in order to publicise things that need to be done, and is looking for new partners among the F1 stake holders to share the costs and encourage innovation.

The two previous surveys have both attracted more than 90,000 fans - a very good number - but AMD believes that the survey could attract many more and give a better indication of what is needed and how the sport can better itself. As an illustration of this, it is clear that European dominant position in the survey (63%) is not matched by the viewing figures. South America, on the other hand, produced only two percent of the survey responses but has a very active and enthusiastic fan base. Asia's eight percent is also rather disappointing.

The fact that less than 10% of respondents were women is also not very promising as there is a much higher percentage of female fans.

AMD also hopes that future surveys will attract more than just the diehard F1 fans and will give the casual fans the chance to have their say about what they want from the sport.

"This is not a commercial exercise," said AMD's executive vice-president of marketing Henri Richard. "We are doing this because we want to do our bit to make F1 better."

A good example for others in the sport.